Europe’s fascist fringe is awakening again

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In the endless debate about the west versus the rest, there is an easy assumption that Europe is inescapably identified with liberal democracy but, today, across Europe, there is an alarming rise of neo-fascist and violently racist parties. Some may make big gains in May’s elections to the European parliament.

In Greece the overtly neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, which won 7 per cent of the vote in the 2012 parliamentary elections, perpetrates violent attacks on immigrants and political opponents.

Jobbik, the third largest party in Hungary despite its racist views and thuggish paramilitary militia, already holds two seats in the